1. Field of the Invention
In electric networks, which serve single-phase devices, significant unbalances of the electric power demanded may appear when the value of the current circulating in one of the phase lines of this network becomes far more significant than the values of currents circulating in the other phase lines. For example, this could be the case when the network feeds single-phase devices and when most of these devices consume a high-value current at a determined time on one of the network phases. When this unbalance becomes too great, any protective devices installed to provide against excess loads may function, and the potential differences or line drops could, for one section of users and materials, reach prohibitive values, whilst a better balanced state could enable these drawbacks to be overcome.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There currently exists no simple device able to easily control an unbalance of the electric power demanded on the lines of various phases of an electric or a three-phase alternating network.
The absence of this simple device is detrimental to electricity distributors since, without knowing the maximum intensity demanded on each phase line, they are unable to limit this maximum intensity via a more judicious distribution of the loads or devices connected to each phase line.
As a result, the cost of electric energy distribution, which includes monitoring, fault clearance, maintenance and installation modernization costs, as well as costs for the interruption of services and electric losses due to voltage irregularity, could be reduced via a better awareness of the rate of the unbalance of the demanded electric power.